MEN'S BASKETBALL: First Semester Recap

A successful first semester is in the books for the 2021-22 MassBay Men's Basketball team.

With a roster full of first-year players, the young Bucs have already made some noise in Region 21, as they currently sit in 6th place with a 3-2 mark (3-5 overall), and have the 3rd and 4th leading scorers in the conference. The Bucs also have quality wins against two of their rivals - having downed both Bunker Hill Community College and Roxbury Community College.

"Our first half of the season was very successful," commented first-year head coach Darryl Hilliard. "We are definitely moving in the right direction as a program."

Two of the brights spots so far have been guards Juan Salas and Chrisreal Lithgow. Salas is currently averaging 20.3 points per game, while Lithgow sits at 20.0 ppg. Additionally, they were both named to the Edward Jones Tap-Off Classic All-Tournament team back in November. Guard Jafar Barry, and Forward/Cenrer Lewiss Garcia Martinez are also off to strong starts to their careers as they are averaging 9.7 and 9.0 ppg respectively. Sophomore captain John Cosby, in his first-year with the program, guard Max Fruman, and forward Marc-Christopher Dobrev have also been very solid for the Bucs, bringing toughness and grit to the program.

"I am proud of our players and coaches for grinding through a tough first-semester," said Director of Athletics Adam Nelson. "These guys prsctice early every morning, work hard in the classroom, and are getting better every day. It's not easy, but they are a very dedicated group."

The Bucs were road warriors over the first half of the season, playing in Maine, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. These early road trips will help the squad in January and February as they continue their fight for a playoff spot, and hope to make some noise in March.